Jan Smithers is a retired actress that remains most popular thanks
to her time portraying the character of Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom WKRP
in Cincinnati. Before Jan became a famous television actress, she was a beautiful
model that could be seen gracing magazines all over the shelves. Join Facts Verse as
we explore rare photos of Jan Smithers’ modeling career (before she was famous).
Jan Smithers Almost Died in an Auto Wreck Jan Smithers was born in California in 1949.
Her father was an attorney, and his hefty income allowed Jan’s mother to stay home with the kids.
Jan has a few sisters, though one of them died while the future star was only a teenager.
Jan was in the automobile accident that killed her sister, but the soon-to-be actress thankfully
remained unscathed. Still, the tragic event left a scar on Jan that would last into her adult years.
Jan still feels guilty for her sister’s death due to the fact that she was driving the car,
which ran into a telephone pole.
Jan Smithers was only 16 years old when she was discovered by two men at the beach and whisked
away into the world of modeling. The two men that approached her were Newsweek photographers,
and they offered her the chance to appear in an issue of the magazine. Jan’s photo shoot proved
such a success that she was featured on the cover of the issue that she ended up appearing in. The
cover appearance drew plenty of attention to the young woman, and she was soon an in-demand model.
The Newsweek cover that Jan Smithers was featured on showed the 16-year-old riding on the back of
a motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle was one of the teenage girl’s real-life friends. The
photo undeniably struck a chord with audiences due to its authenticity, and it’s no wonder that more
publications began clamoring for their own photos featuring the young Jan Smithers. After flirting
with the notion of pursuing higher education at Chouinard Art Institute, Jan dropped out and
dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the pursuit of stardom. Thankfully, she had what it took!
Jan Dropped Out of School to Start Acting The Chouinard Art Institute is a professional art
school located in Los Angeles, California. While there, Jan got the idea that she might be able to
make it as an actress. She dropped out of school with professional acting in mind and soon started
getting parts. She made her television debut in 1973 with an appearance on the television show
Love Story. In the series, Jan played a character by the name of Barbara. It was a small part, but
more notable parts on bigger series would follow. By the end of the decade, Jan would have a major
part in a hit television series thanks to 1978’s WKRP in Cincinnati, which lasted four seasons.
In addition to her numerous roles on television series throughout the 1970s, Jan Smithers could
also be seen in a few made-for-television features over the course of the decade.
These made-for-television features included the likes of Where the Lilies Bloom and Our
Winning Season. Despite this, it is inarguably Jan Smithers’ role on the aforementioned WKRP
in Cincinnati that has come to define the actress the most. WKRP in Cincinnati was a
sitcom about a struggling radio station attempting to switch its format to become more popular. Jan
played the character of Bailey Quarters, who was one of the radio station’s many staff members.
Thanks in no small part to Jan’s immense beauty, WKRP in Cincinnati proved a hit with audiences.
Many WKRP in Cincinnati fans still fail to realize that the actress they came to know
and love thanks to her portrayal of Bailey Quarters on the hit series started out as
a model. Those who are just learning about Jan Smithers’ modeling career
now are certainly in for a treat, as the actress-turned-model was even more of
beauty during her early days than she was when her role on WKRP in Cincinnati came around.
WKRP in Cincinnati Lasted for Four Seasons WKRP in Cincinnati came on the air in 1978
and proved a big hit for the CBS network. It lasted for four seasons, with its
final episode airing in 1982. As is always the case with sitcoms that come to an end, much of
the cast of the series fretted about where they were going to find employment next. This included
Jan Smithers, whose role in the series proved her breakout success in the world of acting.
Sadly, nothing that Jan Smithers did in her acting career following
WKRP in Cincinnati proved quite as successful as her tenure as Bailey Quarters. Still,
she could be seen on a few notable television series in guest-starring roles before retiring
from acting altogether in the late 1980s. Some of these series included Hotel and The Love Boat.
When Jan Smithers finally decided to retire, her main reason for doing so wasn’t because
of the lack of roles that she was being offered.
Instead, it was because she had just welcomed a daughter! If you’re enjoying this video so far, be
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Jan Smithers Was Only an Actress for Just Over a Decade
All in all, Jan Smithers was only around in Hollywood for just over a decade and didn’t
perform in that many notable works besides the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. However, her role
in that classic series is enough to make the retired actress fondly remembered by nostalgic
audiences. In addition to all that she has accomplished in terms of acting, Jan Smithers
has also been married two times over the course of her life. The first of these marriages was
to a man by the name of Kipp Whitman, and it was incredibly short-lived.
The marriage began in 1971, and it only lasted for a year before it ended in divorce. After
this first failed marriage, Jan decided to wait a while before tying the knot a second time.
This perseverance paid of, as her second marriage was significantly more successful than her first.
Jan Smithers’ second husband was actor James Brolin, who is perhaps best known for being
the son of the much more famous Josh Brolin. Jan married James in 1986, only a few years
after her time on WKRP in Cincinnati came to an end in 1982. Following their wedding in 1986,
the two went on to have a daughter by the name of Molly Elizabeth Brolin. Josh Brolin
was already around 20 at the time, making Molly Elizabeth Brolin his much younger stepsister.
While Jan Smithers’ marriage to second husband James Brolin was far more successful than her
first marriage, it still didn’t last forever. In fact, it didn’t even last an entire decade! After
trying the knot in 1986, Jan and James were only together for around nine years before divorcing
in 1995. Following the divorce, Jan has remained unmarried while James
went on to marry Barbra Streisand shortly afterward. Since tying the knot shortly
before the turn of the millennium, James and Barbra are still together to this day!
Jan Puts Her Private Life First Nowadays As we’ve already briefly touched upon, a big part
of why Jan Smithers decided to retire from acting was so that she could be there for her daughter
Molly. To this day, Jan Smithers’ very last acting appearance remains her 1987 role in the film Mr.
Nice Guy, in which she played the character of Lise. Though Molly eventually grew up,
Jan Smithers decided never to return to the world of acting. Instead, she has decided to
dedicate her time to more spiritual pursuits. Given that Jan allegedly holds a net worth of
$6 million as a result of her days as a model and actress, she likely is wanting for work.
Jan Smithers is currently 73 years old and still lives in California.
She spends most of her days practicing yoga and meditation and is also said to be a member of
a charitable group that functions outside of India. The former actress also champions her
share of other causes in her spare time. For the most part, Jan has chosen to remain completely
out of the spotlight since retiring. Since she was only around in the Hollywood sphere
for a little over a decade, the little work that she has left behind remains especially notable.
More than anything, fans seem to love looking back at Jan Smithers’ work during her modeling career,
before she became famous thanks to her time on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Jan was
certainly a stunning beauty during her prime, and it’s no wonder that her looks stood out to
Hollywood executives and gave her the chance to branch out into television.
Today, with her focus on healthy living, Jan is aging incredibly gracefully. However,
nothing beats looking at pictures of the retired actress during her modeling days.
Jan Will Always Be Remembered as a Stunning Beauty A big part of what makes Jan Smithers’ modeling
work stand out today is the suggestive outfits that she chose to wear. At a time
when many models were afraid of showing too much skin, Jan was proud to be seen wearing
short dresses that showed an ample amount of her legs. The majority of Jan Smithers’
most famous modeling work comes from the 1960s, meaning that it dates back well
over a decade before the actress’s iconic turn on WKRP in Cincinnati.
In addition to her revealing clothing, Jan Smithers could often be seen sporting a pixie
haircut during her modeling career. Looking back at these rare photos, it’s no wonder
that Jan went on to take television audiences by storm on WKRP in Cincinnati. Though the actress
prefers to keep to herself for the most part nowadays and hasn’t acted since the late 1980s,
she has appeared at a few reunion events alongside the rest of the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati.
Though WKRP in Cincinnati’s Jan Smithers hasn’t acted since 1987, the 73-year-old former actress
is still around and doing fairly well for herself outside of the spotlight! Now it’s time to hear
from you: did you know that Jan Smithers was a gorgeous model before becoming a television
star on WKRP in Cincinnati and that she’s still alive and healthy after retiring from acting in
the late 1980s? As always, like this video to show your support, subscribe, and hit the notification
bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!